John E. O'Malley

Psychiatric sequelae of surviving childhood cancer.

Increasing survival rates for children with cancer raise questions about the long-term psychosocial impact of the disease and its treatment. Psychiatric evaluations of 114 survivors of childhood malignancies suggest a high rate of adjustment problems, with 59% indicating at least mild psychiatric symptomology. Interviews with former patients highlight the importance of adaptive denial in the face of the uncertainty connected with cancer survival.

PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVAL AND MARRIAGE: Issues Affecting Adult Adjustment

Of 36 men and women, now aged 21 or older, who were treated for cancer as children, 20 have married. As part of a long-term follow-up, 13 of their spouses were interviewed about the effects of cancer on the patient and on their marriage. Comparison of patients physical limitations, visible impairments, and psychiatric adjustment ratings indicated significant differences between patients who have married or become engaged and those who have not married.